More than one hundred ATV’s in Buffalo make ready to embark upon a 64-mile adventure. (Photo Courtesy of Danette Tucker)
A procession of over one hundred ATV’s made their way through the backroads of Putnam and Mason Counties this past Saturday, April 26, on a course which took them over 18 Mile Creek, Morrison Ridge, Riffee Ridge, OK Hill, Jim Ridge, Bowles Ridge, Manilla Ridge, and other paths. The ride lasted around six hours, with a sizeable portion of the time spent socializing and mud running. When the riders returned to Buffalo, they had logged a total of sixty-four miles.
The ATV ride was a fundraiser for the restoration of Buffalo’s first firetruck, a 1939 Chevy which the town acquired from Dunbar in the early 1950’s. The truck, which was driven by Alby E. Jeffers, was used until the 1970’s. After its retirement, it remained in Buffalo in an unprotected area.
Larry Jeffers, the son of the first driver, wanted to restore the truck in memory of his father. He spoke with the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department, and was given approval to take the vehicle to his home in Circleville, Ohio, where he would restore it. Having worked for a facility that built ambulances, Larry had experience working on emergency vehicles. Several of his friends who operate a garage were involved with the project as well. Dalton Koby and Tillman Hay helped with the restoration process.
Work on the firetruck has been ongoing for over two years. The vehicle needed extensive repairs, including a new motor, transmission, water pump, carburetor, fuel pump, and more. Parts were sourced from all over the United States, and a lot of the time that has gone into the project has been spent waiting for deliveries to arrive. The restored truck will be a parade vehicle, so its water valves will be for appearance only. The manual transmission was replaced with an automatic one, which will be easier to use when driving in parades. The truck featured an “In Memory of Alby” plaque upon the side, and the restored truck will list the names of all the fallen firemen from Buffalo.
As the project became more and more expensive, Larry and friends had to reach out for financial aid. Danette Tucker and Misty Legg of Buffalo thought to host an ATV ride fundraiser to help meet restoration costs. A total of $7,333 was raised from last Saturday’s ride through donations, concession sales, registration fees, and raffles.
It is hoped that the restoration of the firetruck will be completed in time for its debut at the Buffalo Fourth of July Parade. At one time, Buffalo had a Fourth of July carnival at the high school, and the truck would be used to take children on rides. Larry says he would like to see a return of that tradition, and is building a bench in the back of the vehicle for people to ride comfortably (passengers originally had to stand up because there was no place to sit).
Larry says that restoring Buffalo’s first firetruck is an honor. It was part of his family for many years. His father Alby was a firefighter, and his brothers helped put out forest fires, even though they were never official members of the Fire Department. Larry served as a firefighter for a year before moving to Circleville.
The truck was last used in 2000 when it was employed to transport Alby’s casket to Raynes Cemetery on Cross Creek Hill. Unfortunately, the truck quit halfway up the hill and had to be pulled the rest of the way by another vehicle.
The restoration should make an emergency tow unnecessary during any of Buffalo’s future 4th of July parades.
